Literal Commentary on Job (Expositio super Iob ad litteram)

"But now the younger in time deride me," etc. After he had enumerated many things pertaining to the prosperity which he had had in the preceding time, here he enumerates the adversities which he was then suffering, and first indeed, in contrast to his former glory and reverence, he shows that he is now held in contempt. Now a person bears the contempt of another the more grievously the more abject the person of the one holding him in contempt has been; hence he shows that those by whom he was despised were abject in many ways. First indeed from the standpoint of time, hence he says "but now the younger in time deride me," as opposed to what he had said above, "the young men saw me and hid themselves, and the old men rising up stood." Second, from the standpoint of ignobility, when he adds "whose fathers I did not deem worthy to be set with the dogs of my flock," that is, I did not consider them worthy that I should take them on for the services of my house, however lowly, for instance for the guarding of dogs; which corresponds, by way of opposition, to what he had said above, "the princes ceased to speak." Third, as to the smallness of their power, hence he adds "the strength of whose hands," namely of those deriding him, or even of their fathers, "was to me as nothing," that is, I set at little worth all their power as if it were nothing; and this corresponds, by way of opposition, to what he had said above, "the leaders restrained their voice." Fourth, as to dishonor, hence he adds "and they were thought unworthy of life itself," namely on account of the multitude of their grave sins; and this corresponds, by way of opposition, to what he had said above, "the ear that heard called me blessed," etc. Fifth, as to poverty, hence he adds "through want," namely as to the lack of goods, "and famine," as to the affliction consequent thereupon, "barren," that is, unable to bring forth fruit, as opposed to what he had said above about himself, "the rock poured out to me rivers of oil." Sixth, as to the harsh life which they led, hence he adds "who gnawed in the wilderness," that is, they used coarse foods which they sought in the deserts, for instance acorns or other such things, because they did not have the fruits of the fields on account of want; and he shows the effect of this sustenance when he adds "disfigured," that is, made ugly, "by calamity" as to the affliction of their own body, "and by misery" as to external adversities. He then explains what they were gnawing when he adds "and they ate herbs," namely wild and raw ones, "and the bark of trees, and the root of junipers was their food," in which he shows the coarseness and vileness of their food. He then shows further that they did not even have an abundance of such vile foods, showing that they acquired such foods laboriously, which he signifies when he says "who snatched these things from the valleys," that is, obtaining them with great difficulty on account of the ascent and descent, and in small quantity, which he signifies when he says "when they had found each one," and with a certain contention, which he signifies when he says "they ran to them with a shout," namely so that one might get ahead of another; and all these things correspond, by way of opposition, to what he had said above, "I washed my feet with butter." Seventh, he shows their abjection on the side of dwelling, namely that they had no houses to remain in, which he signifies when he adds "they dwelt in the deserts of torrents," that is, in the dried-up beds of torrents in which they sheltered themselves from the heat, "and in the caverns of the earth," namely for the sake of shade, "or upon the gravel," namely for the sake of the coolness of nearby water or for the softness of the sand; and this too seemed pleasant to them when they were able to find such places to remain in, hence he adds "who rejoiced among things of this kind," as if not even having an abundance of such places; and if it should ever happen that they found more convenient places, they reckoned this as something delightful, hence he adds "and they reckoned it a delight to be under the briars," that is, under the shade of small trees, because such a place was more convenient for remaining than those mentioned before; and this seems to correspond, by way of opposition, to what he had said above, "I shall die in my nest." Having enumerated their miseries one by one, he gathers up, as it were by way of epilogue, what has been said, adding "sons of fools," namely in mind, "and of ignoble men," namely in stock, "and not appearing at all in the land," that is, conspicuous by no dignity or glory.

He then explains what he was suffering from them, and first indeed he shows that he was mocked by them with the mouth, both in jest and in earnest. As to jest, he signifies this when he says "now I am turned into their song," because namely they made mocking little songs about him; and as to earnest matters, and as to this he adds "and I am become a byword to them," because namely they commonly used the misfortunes of Job as it were as proverbs, bringing him forward as an example of fault and misery. Second, he shows how they despised him in heart when he adds "they abhor me," namely as something vile and unclean. Third, he shows how they despised him in deed: first indeed insofar as they shuddered at his presence, hence he adds "and they flee far from me," as opposed to what he had said above, "they waited for me as for the rain"; second, insofar as they inflicted injuries upon him: "and they are not afraid to spit in my face," namely as a sign of contumely and contempt.

And lest it be thought that he had come into contempt on account of some fault committed, he shows the cause of the aforesaid contempt on the part of the divine striking, showing first indeed that he was afflicted by God, when he says "for he has opened his quiver and has afflicted me": from a quiver arrows are drawn out which some use for striking; and by arrows are understood the divine scourges, according to what he had said above in chapter 6, "the arrows of the Lord are in me, the indignation of which has drunk up my spirit"; the quiver of God, therefore, is the divine disposition from which adversities come upon men, which he says to be opened on account of the abundance of adversities, from which he says he was afflicted not only outwardly but also inwardly. Second, he asserts that he was hindered by God so that he could not even repel his injuries by word, hence he adds "and he has put a bridle on my mouth," because namely, through the divine scourges, confidence of responding was taken from him, while others took arguments against him from those very scourges.

He then shows that adversities of this kind were sent upon him by God from the fact that they came beyond the accustomed manner of human adversities, which indeed he shows first from the place from which the adversities came. For it is customary, and especially in those lands, for attacks to arise from the northern side, in which barbarous nations dwelt, and men more fierce and warlike, according to that saying of Jeremiah 1:14, "from the north shall all evil be spread abroad"; but the attackers of blessed Job came from the southern side, where men less warlike and fierce are accustomed to dwell: for it was said above that his adversity began from the Sabeans, who took away the oxen and asses and killed the servants; hence he says "at the right hand of the east," that is, from the southern side, which is the right with respect to the east — for if one turns himself toward the east, the south will be to his right — "my calamities immediately arose," that is, at once from the beginning, the Sabeans rushing in. Second, he shows his adversities to be beyond the common manner as to the multiplicity of the attack: for he was attacked both as to the loss of goods from which a man has the capacity of acting, which is signified by the feet, hence he adds "they have overturned my feet," that is, they have destroyed all my capacities, and this they did easily and totally, hence he adds "and they have oppressed," namely my aforesaid feet, "with their paths," as it were in their passing without any difficulty; and he adds an example when he says "as if by waves": for the waves of the sea both suddenly cover the earth or a ship and totally swallow it up. Now once the feet, that is, the capacities, were overturned, it follows as a consequence that his progress was hindered, hence it follows "they have dissipated my paths," that is, all the progress of my works. Further, they even persecuted him in person, and craftily, which he signifies when he adds "they have laid snares for me," and powerfully, in what he adds "and they have prevailed," and without contradiction, because there was no one to hinder them in the very deed, hence he adds "and there was none to bring help," namely to me while I was being oppressed by them, nor even anyone to hinder them from approaching me, hence he adds "as through a breached wall and an open door they have rushed in upon me," that is, as if there had been no obstacle, neither from the very substance of the matter, which is signified by the wall, nor from human vigilance, which is signified by the door; and having entered so freely to me, they had no pity, hence he adds "and they have rolled themselves upon my miseries," that is, they were wholly intent upon this, that they might render me miserable.

Third, he shows that adversities of this kind were sent by God from their effect, because namely through them he was totally destitute, hence he adds "I am reduced to nothing," which he says because nothing of his former prosperity remained to him, which indeed consisted in two things: in one way in exterior goods, which he had lost through violence, hence he adds "it has taken away, as the wind," namely through violence, "my desire," that is, everything desirable which I had in exterior things; in another way his prosperity consisted in the health of his own person, and as to this he adds "and as a cloud," that is, suddenly and totally, "my safety has passed away," namely of my own person. Now once the desirable goods were taken away, his soul remained in sadness, hence he adds "but now my soul withers away within myself," namely through sadness: for he could not but be sad, his sons and goods having been lost. Now with bodily health receding, it followed as a consequence that he also felt bodily pain, which gave him no rest even in the day, hence he adds "and the days of affliction possess me," that is, of bodily pain, which was also aggravated at night, hence he adds "at night my bone is pierced with sorrows," as if to say: thus at night my pains increase so that it seems to me that they reach even to the piercing of my bones. He then shows the cause of the pain to have been from putrefied wounds, hence he adds "and they who eat me," namely the worms generated from the putrefaction of the wounds, "do not sleep," because namely they gave him no rest; and to show their multitude, he adds "by their multitude my garment is consumed," as if to say: so great is the multitude of worms that they not only eat the flesh but even gnaw through the garments; and to show that they were not in one part of the body only but were as it were diffused through the whole body even to the head, he adds "and as with the hood of a tunic they have girded me about," as if to say: on account of their multitude they are not contained under the covering of the binding and the garment, but they break forth into the open and surround the neck. Now from this punishment he shows himself to have been made abominable to men, hence he adds "I am made comparable to mud," that is, so that no one would wish to approach me on account of the abundance of putrefaction and worms, just as no one would approach mud, "and I am made like unto embers and ashes," that is, wholly cast down and held in contempt.

Now those who are despised by men are accustomed to have help from God, but he was being abandoned by God in temporal adversity, hence he adds "I will cry to you," namely continually asking to be freed from this adversity, "and you will not hear me," namely so soon; "I stand," that is, I persevere in praying, "and you do not regard me," namely so as to free me from adversity; and thus, if I were to consider only the temporal state, I would think you a cruel and hard enemy, hence he adds "you have become cruel to me," namely according to what appears from the outward scourges, since you do not spare even one who entreats, "and in the hardness of your hand you are adverse to me," namely by grievously afflicting me. And according to what appears from outward things, it seems that you granted me my former prosperity for my ill, hence he adds "you have lifted me up," namely in the time of prosperity, "and as if setting me upon the wind," that is, in the highest state, yet unstable after the manner of wind, "you have violently dashed me down," that is, you have grievously injured me, as it were casting me from on high to the ground. And lest it should seem that he had said this out of desperation, he adds "I know that you will hand me over to death," as if to say: I do not suffer these things as unforeseen, for I know that I am still to be brought to a further failing, namely even unto death; and he says he knows this on account of the condition of mortal life, hence he adds "where a house has been appointed for every living thing," because namely all men tend toward death just as a man tends toward his own house; nor yet is man wholly consumed through death, because the immortal soul remains, hence he adds "yet nevertheless you do not put forth your hand for their consumption," namely of living men, that is, so as to reduce them to nothing by your power, "and if they should fall," namely through death, "you yourself will save them," namely their souls, by beatifying them; and this I hope from your kindness, however cruel and hard you may seem to me in temporal adversities.

These things, then, having been set forth concerning his former prosperity and the adversity that followed, he gathers up as it were in a certain summary the things set forth before, saying "I wept formerly," namely in the time of prosperity, "over him who was afflicted," according to that saying of the Apostle in Romans 12:15, "to weep with those who weep"; and I also had compassion on those suffering want, which he shows when he adds "and my soul had compassion on the poor," namely not only in affection but also in effect, as he said above; and for these works of mercy "I looked for good things," namely the prosperous things of this world according to the opinion of his friends, "and evils have come to me," that is, adverse things, by which it is evident that their judgment is false; "I waited for light," that is, for consolation or counsel by which I might be rescued from evils, "and darkness broke forth," namely of bitterness and doubts. He then explains the evils that came upon him, and he begins from the interior evils when he says "my inward parts have boiled without any rest," which can be referred either to an infirmity of the interior organs proceeding from a fervor of disordered heat, or also to an affliction of heart proceeding from a fervor of sorrow; and to show that this disquiet was excessively untimely, he adds "the days of affliction have come before me": for all men are afflicted in the time of old age on account of infirmity, but he had been overtaken by afflictions in his youth. Then, as to exterior things, he adds "I walked mourning," that is, when I walked among men, after my misery I displayed sadness; but although sadness is a cause of anger, this nevertheless was not in me, hence he adds "rising up in the crowd I cried out without fury," explaining namely his miseries, which indeed were partly from the failure of friends, concerning which he adds "I was a brother to dragons," that is, those who ought to have loved me as a brother bit me as dragons do, "and a companion of ostriches," which are accustomed to forget even their own offspring: so also they forgot me, so that they did not come to my aid.

Partly, however, his adversity was from bodily infirmity, hence first as to exterior things he says "my skin is grown black over me," namely on account of an interior corruption of the humors; then as to interior things he adds "and my bones are dried up with heat," that is, so great a force of disordered heat rushed upon me that the very marrow of the bones has, as it were, dried up. Partly, however, his adversity consisted in exterior signs of sadness, hence he adds those things into which the signs of joy had been changed, which are either musical instruments — and as to this he says "my harp is turned to mourning" — as if to say: mourning has succeeded, for me, to the harp which I used for merriment; or they are songs of the human voice, hence he adds "and my organ," which namely I used for joy, "into the voice of those who weep," namely has been turned.